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4.6 from 30 votes

Rigatoni Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

Rich, flavorful pasta Bolognese is so easy to prepare on any given evening, but has fancy date night appeal! Serve it up to friends and family for a show-stopping meal!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 508 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 2 medium carrots chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb ground beef*
  • 1 24-oz jar Tomato Basil Sauce**
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • sea salt to taste
For the Pasta:
  • 16 ounces rigatoni pasta noodles***
  • Gouda or Parmesan Cheese optional
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Begin by making the Bolognese sauce. Add the avocado oil to a large thick-bottomed pot (I use my Dutch oven) and heat to medium-high. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. While the onion is sautéing, chop the carrots, celery, and garlic. Add them in and stir well. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Scoot the vegetables off to the side to clear off some room for the meat. Add the ground beef to the pot and sear for 3 minutes on both sides before chopping it up with a spatula and mixing it in with the vegetables. You don’t need to cook it all the way through just yet!
  4. Pour in the Tomato Basil Sauce, stir well, and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer the sauce for at least 40 minutes (ideally 1 hour or even longer if you have the time).
  5. When the sauce is close to being finished, cook the pasta noodles according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the bolognese sauce and carefully toss it all together until the rigatoni is well-coated in sauce (as an alternative, serve the noodles and sauce separately so that people can choose their preferred ratio of noodles to sauce).
  6. Serve pasta with grated gouda cheese or parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil.

Notes

  • *You can also use ground bison, elk, or turkey
  • ** or store-bought tomato pasta sauce of choice. As an alternative, omit the store-bought sauce, and use 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce, 1 (16-oz) can crushed tomatoes, 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup (or sugar), and either ½ cup fresh herbs like basil and oregano or 3 Tbsp dried herbs like Italian seasoning or a mix of dried basil, oregano, thyme, etc.
  • ***I use grain-free pasta noodles, but you can use any type of rigatoni noodles you like!

Nutrition Information

Serving 1of 6 Calories 508kcal (25%) Carbohydrates 65g (22%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 14g (22%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 7g (14%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 508

% Daily Value*

Serving 1of 6
Calories 508kcal 25%
Carbohydrates 65g 22%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 14g 22%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 7g 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.